But it turns out that some of those one-trick gizmos cluttering your drawers and cabinets can actually do more than you think. ShopSmart, the shopping magazine from the publisher of Consumer Reports, asked a panel of cooking experts for ideas, plus tips on what to buy if you don't already own these kitchen gadgets.

-- Egg slicer. An egg slicer can do a lot more than slice eggs. Use it to slice strawberries, kiwis, mushrooms, olives and cooked potatoes for salads. It can also cut semisoft cheeses such as mozzarella or Muenster into uniformly thin slices to top a pizza or burger. Steer clear of hard cheeses that may cause the wires to bend.

-- Rolling pin. Beyond rolling out dough, use a rolling pin to soften butter fast. Cover the butter in plastic wrap, then roll over it until it's flat. Also, use it to flatten boneless chicken breasts into quick-cooking cutlets. Place chicken in a plastic bag and gently pound, starting at the middle and working toward the edge, until the meat is 1/4-inch thick.

Shopping tip: Wood pins are lighter and easier to handle than marble and stainless ones.

-- Tongs. Beyond flipping meat and tossing salads, use tongs to juice citrus fruits. Cut fruit in half and place a piece between the arms of the tong, close to the hinge. Grab the open end for leverage and squeeze shut, keeping the fruit over a bowl to catch its juice. Tongs can also be used to snatch hard-to-reach boxes and cans from high pantry shelves.

-- Veggie peeler. To make desserts look special, use your veggie peeler to make chocolate curls. The key is to have a large block of chocolate (at least 4 ounces) at the right temperature. If it's too hard, it will shatter; too warm, the curls won't form. Place the block on a paper towel and zap it in the microwave on high power in 5-second increments, testing between each round. To make the curls, draw the grater toward you along the flat surface of the chocolate.

Shopping tip: Look for a comfy rubber grip and a head that swivels easily to better navigate irregularly shaped foods.

--Ice cream scoop. An ice cream scoop holds about a half-cup -- the perfect-sized serving. Use it to scoop out diet-friendly helpings of mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and any kind of casserole, as well as to make just the right-sized meatballs.

-- Muffin tins. Muffin tins are not just for baking. Use them to make giant ice cubes for punches and to freeze perfectly sized pasta-topping chunks of pesto or marinara sauce. Once the cubes are frozen, pop them out and store them in a plastic freezer bag.

Shopping tip: Silicone trays are best because you can bend them to easily pop things out.

-- Microplane. You won't need a garlic press, lemon zester or food chopper if you have a microplane. Use it to mince, grate or zest just about anything -- cheese, garlic, fresh ginger, lemon, onion even nuts and whole spices such as nutmeg.